Azernews.Az

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called on neighboring Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to join a regional body linking Turkic-speaking countries.

"We are interested in turning the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking Countries (CCTS), whose groundwork was laid in 2009 in Nakhchivan [an Azerbaijani autonomous republic], into a full-fledged international organization, and we really hope that our Uzbek and Turkmen brothers will join us some day," Nazarbayev told the council’s first summit in the Kazakh city of Almaty on Friday.

The Kazakh president said the CCTS secretariat should draft the documents required for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan’s joining the organization.

Along with Nazarbayev, the summit of the Turkic-speaking countries was attended by Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Roza Otunbaeva, as well as Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his visit to Kazakhstan over recent deadly terror acts in the southeast of the country.

The Kazakh leader noted that the first Council meeting focused on ways of boosting economic cooperation among the Turkic-speaking states.

At the start of the Almaty summit, the Business Council of Turkic Speaking States was established on Thursday. The CCTS's four member-states signed an agreement on creating the business council, the twin objectives of which are to seek new directions for deeper cooperation and to eliminate existing impediments and obstacles in mutual trade and economic ties.

Nazarbayev said further that in order to counter the world economic crisis, it is important to step up joint efforts, increase the volume of cargo transportation and transit of goods as well as boost trade among Turkic countries, which is below existing potential.

Nazarbayev also stressed the importance of closer relations in the fields of science, culture and sports.

Nazarbayev said he supports Azerbaijani president’s proposal to establish a cultural foundation of Turkic-speaking countries in Baku.

Nazarbayev also noted that Astana has been announced the "Cultural Capital" of Turkic-speaking states in 2012.

In conclusion of the two-day summit, participants signed a 49-clause joint declaration. In the Almaty Declaration, the leaders acknowledged the remarkable progress achieved by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which are celebrating their 20th anniversaries of independence, through reforms in the political, economic, social, legal and other areas.

Reaffirming their intention on further development of relations and strengthening unity among Turkic-speaking states based on the common history, language, identity and culture, the leaders welcomed the establishment of the Turkic states’ council as a full-fledged international organization.

The document says that the comprehensive ties and existing solidarity among Turkic states reinforce regional and international cooperation in the Eurasian region.

The leaders expressed their adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, to the documents of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and above all to the Helsinki Final Act.

They also expressed an aim at strengthening political and economic security of these countries in accordance with the basic principles of territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, non-interference in internal affairs and refraining from the use of force.

The second summit of the CCTS will be held in Kyrgyzstan next year. The event will be dedicated to scientific, educational and cultural cooperation.